dennerlymum

I think he was disagreeing with you actually! Most of us here have no problem at all with the police; they are just doing a job - if you dont commit a crime then you will have no problem

Perhaps it would be better and less antagonistic if we got back on track with the original question ; the best route from France to Spain!

dmu

My French OH takes umbrage at your statement and, if they had read it, my in-laws and French friends, too!
This is one of the many myths about the French...

Ka Ora!

Then at some time they will get the due payment from you.

They won't fine you for having a Sat Nav unless you have the speed camera warning part switched on. To be fair speed cameras are rarely hidden to miss them you would have to be a pretty unobservant driver.

Some folk actually buy Sat Nav's to work out where they are going

The odds are one day you will fall into why warning devices were made illegal and just become another RTC road death statistic.

I have a couple of friends that are Gendarmes and personally I think you are stereotyping in a pretty poor fashion. The policing methodology here is different from the UK but to be fare I prefer the French method over the English approach which is over pro active. You can always try the Guardia Civil in Spain.


The thread is now wandering off topic which won't help the OP get from A 2 B, We have established why you need a Sat Nav, So if we want to continue then we should have our own thread

Sue

I've moved a load of posts into this thread in order to keep the other thread on topic as it seems to have got sidetracked.

As you were

Novocastrian

I agree. The speed cameras are always preceded by warning signs. I've never gone through one speeding with or without a SatNav.

I've also never had a gendarme jump out from a hedge (or from anything else) at me.

The same is true of the OH who's french(ish).

Vanya

Some people are very quick to take umbridge on this thread, and even quicker to jump to conclusions.

First of all, I have lived in France long enough (twenty-five years) to know these are not myths.
The French Police have a policy of hiding cameras and mobile units: this is illegal in the UK The Gendarmes are Military Police, not civil police and are a law unto themselves.
French speed cameras often work just outside the regulated zone, so they flash you when you are not working. There is one such camera on the 147 south of Poitiers and it iis necessary to slow right down BEFORE entering the zone: if you are travelling at 51 just befre the speed sign, you get flashed.
French Police target French registered RHD cars : they are obviously driven by Brits. I was never stopped one when I had an old French car, but the day after I imported a car from the UK and changed the plates, I was stopped for "speeding" when I was not speeding. However, when I told them the name of the Mayor in my town they let me go.
A British friend was pulled over by the Customs and questioned about three cases of wine I was carrying. They said that it was illegal to take wine in quantity from department to department (an old French law, now being enacted to stop tourists taking wine to the ports!).
I do not see any other reason why warning devices are made illegal other than to make money. The purpose is to avoid breaking the speed limit. What is wrong with that?
I'm afraid I've lived in France long enough to know that what you call "stereotypes" are very often true. We'll not go into the French tradition of tail-gaiting or driving in the middle of the road, or someone else may take umbridge!
I do not break speed limits, and am a careful driver

smithyandlisa

Vanya

Because I slow down before the camera!!!! I do not not break speed limits! I think some people are being rude here.

smithyandlisa

cyrian

Quote from Vanya on the Middle East forum in the Sand Pit:
I know how you feel. I would not dare to drive in Russia - driving in France is bad enough. I just take the bus and the tram and let the mad drivers and police fight it out.
It seems like the police in Russia are no better

Perhaps the strong action of the police is helping to reduce the serious accident statistics in France.
IMHO the french are drinking less especially at lunchtime for several reasons including the increased action by the police to stop and breathalyse at random.
The introduction of the ethylotest this year may help also.
I was at a french dinner party at the weekend and the host produced a couple of kits for people to blow into - it was just a bit of fun because everybody was too pissed to use them but eventually worked out how.

While a lot of what you say is factually correct, your response is a bit over-the-top and that is perhaps why people are not so much taking umbrage - just simply disagreeing with you.

Domino

IMHO the ones who shout the loudest about being law abiding, never break speed limits, never park on double yellows ...
are usually the ones who do it "just this once" - repeatedly

Blackladder

Bonjour les gars!

There you go Vanya, just in case you need a 'crash course'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RB7sU4L7A

Blackie

Vanya

Yes, the Russian police are worse, of course. But the driving is far worse..

Vanya

I shall not be visiting this thread again. Well, we can all do without rudeness, and one should not expect it on this board.

Domino

so another troll bites the dust

where do we get them from ??